Hydroconversion process for hydrocarbon liquids using supercritical vapor extraction of liquid fractions

Claim 2

A process for high hydroconversion of heavy hydrocarbon liquid feedstock containing at least about 50 V % material normally boiling above about 975° F. to produce lower boiling hydrocarbon liquid and gas products wherein Ramsbottom carbon residue (RCR) materials and metals-containing compounds are removed from the liquid fraction by supercritical solvent vapor extraction, said process comprising: (a) feeding said hydrocarbon liquid feedstock together with hydrogen into a reaction zone, said reaction zone being maintained at 780°-860° F. temperature and 1000-5000 psig hydrogen partial pressure for liquid phase hydroconversion reaction to provide a hydroconverted effluent material containing a mixture of gas and liquid fractions; (b) separating said hydrocarbon effluent material in a first separation zone into a gas fraction and a liquid fraction; (c) draining said liquid fraction to a second separation zone maintained at a temperature 50°-150° F. above that in the first separation zone so as to vaporize a solvent fraction and form a supercritical solvent vapor therein to dissolve and extract the hydrocarbon liquid fraction from the liquid to provide substantial separation of the RCR material and metals-containing compound residue from a remaining extracted vapor therein; (d) withdrawing said residue along with a minor portion of high boiling residual oil from said second separation zone; (e) withdrawing and pressure-reducing the remaining extracted vapor from said second separation zone containing supercritical solvent vapor and dissolved liquid, and separating a light solvent fraction from a remaining heavy liquid fraction; and (f) withdrawing hydrocarbon liquid and gas products from the process.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1, wherein said reaction zone contains an ebullated bed of catalyst.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon liquid feedstock is a petroleum residua material.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1, wherein a portion of said light solvent fraction is heated to supercritical temperature and recycled to said second separation zone to supplement the solvent vapor therein.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1, wherein a light liquid fraction and a heavy oil fraction from said separation zones are passed with hydrogen to a second catalytic reaction zone for further hydroconversion to provide increased yield of low-boiling hydrocarbon liquid and gas products.

Claim 7

A process for high hydroconversion of a petroleum residua feedstock containing at least about 50 V % material normally boiling above about 975° F. to produce lower boiling hydrocarbon liquid and gas products wherein Ramsbottom carbon residue (RCR) materials and metals-containing compounds are separated and removed from the liquid product by supercritical solvent extraction, said process comprising: (a) feeding said petroleum residua feedstock together with hydrogen into a reaction zone containing a catalyst bed, said reaction zone being maintained at 780°-860° F. temperature and 1000-5000 psig hydrogen partial pressure for liquid phase hydroconversion reaction to provide a hydroconverted effluent material containing a mixture of gas and liquid fractions; (b) separating said hydrocarbon effluent material in a first separation zone into a gas fraction and a liquid fraction; (c) draining said liquid fraction from said first separation zone into a second separation zone maintained at a temperature 50°-150° F. above that in the first separation zone so as to vaporize a 250°-450° F. boiling range solvent fraction and form a supercritical solvent vapor therein to dissolve and extract substantially all the hydrocarbon liquid fraction from the liquid to provide substantial separation of the RCR material and metals-containing compound residue from a remaining extracted vapor therein; (d) withdrawing said residue along with a minor portion of high boiling residual oil from said second separation zone; (e) withdrawing and pressure-reducing the remaining extracted vapor from said second separation zone containing supercritical solvent vapor and dissolved liquid, and separating a light solvent fraction from a remaining heavy liquid fraction; (f) heating a portion of said light solvent fractionn and recycling it to said second separation zone to supplement the critical solvent vapor therein; and (g) withdrawing hydrocarbon liquid and gas product from the process.

Claim 8

A process for high hydroconversion of a petroleum residua feedstock containing at least about 50 V % material normally boiling above about 975° F. to produce lower boiling hydrocarbon liquid and gas products wherein Ramsbottom carbon residue (RCR) materials and metals-containing compounds are separated and removed from the liquid product by supercritical solvent extraction, said process comprising: (a) feeding said petroleum residua feedstock together with hydrogen into a reaction zone containing a catalyst bed, said reaction zone being maintained at 780°-860° F. temperature and 1000-5000 psig hydrogen partial pressure for liquid phase hydroconversion reaction to provide a hydroconverted effluent material containing a mixture of gas and liquid fractions; (b) separating said hydrocarbon effluent material in a first separation zone into a gas fraction and a liquid fraction; (c) draining said liquid fraction from said first separation zone into a second separation zone maintained at a temperature 50°-150° F. above that in the first separation zone so as to vaporize a 250°-450° F. boiling range solvent fraction and form a supercritical solvent vapor therein to dissolve and extract substantially all the hydrocarbon liquid fraction from the liquid to provide substantial separation of the RCR material and metals-containing compound residue from a remaining extracted vapor therein; (d) withdrawing said residue along with a minor portion of high boiling residual oil from said second separation zone; (e) withdrawing and pressure-reducing the remaining extracted vapor from said second separation zone containing supercritical solvent vapor and dissolved liquid, and separating a light solvent fraction from a remaining heavy liquid fraction; (f) heating a portion of said light solvent fractionn and recycling it to said second separation zone to supplement the critical solvent vapor therein; and (g) withdrawing hydrocarbon liquid and gas product from the process.

Claim 9

A process for high hydroconversion of a petroleum residua feedstock containing at least about 50 V % material normally boiling above about 975° F. to produce lower boiling hydrocarbon liquid and gas products wherein Ramsbottom carbon residue (RCR) materials and metals-containing compounds are separated and removed from the liquid product by supercritical solvent extraction, said process comprising: (a) feeding said petroleum residua feedstock together with hydrogen into a reaction zone containing a catalyst bed, said reaction zone being maintained at 780°-860° F. temperature and 1000-5000 psig hydrogen partial pressure for liquid phase hydroconversin reaction to provide a hydroconverted effluent material containing a mixture of gas and liquid fractions; (b) separating said hydrocarbon effluent material in a first separation zone into a gas fraction and a liquid fraction; (c) draining said liquid fraction from said first separation zone into a second separation zone maintained at a temperature 15°-50° F. above that in the first separation zoner so as to vaporize a fraction having a normal boiling range of 250°-450° F. and forming a supercritical solvent vapor in the second separation zone for dissolving and extracting the hydrocarbon liquid fraction therein to provide substantial separation of the RCR materials and metals-containing compound residue from a remaining extracted vapor therein; (d) withdrawing said residue along with a minor portion of high boiling residual oil from said second separation zone; (e) withdrawing and pressure-reducing the remaining extracted vapor from said second separation zone containing the supercritical solvent vapor and dissolved liquid, and separating a light solvent fraction from a remaining heavy liquid fraction; (f) combining said gas fraction and the remaining portion of said heavy liquid fraction and introducing the combined stream along with hydrogen into a second ebullated bed catalytic reaction zone maintained at 700°-820° F. temperature and 1000-4500 psig hydrogen partial pressure for further hydroconversion and desulfurization to provide a hydrocarbon effluent material containing liquid and gas fractions; (g) separating said hydrocarbon effluent material in a third separation zone into a gas fraction and a liquid fraction; and (h) withdrawing hydrocarbon liquid and gas products from the process.

Claim 10

A process for high hydroconversion of a petroleum residua feedstock containing at least about 50 V % material normally boiling above about 975° F. to produce lower boiling hydrocarbon liquid and gas products wherein Ramsbottom carbon residue (RCR) materials and metals-containing compounds are separated and removed from the liquid product by supercritical solvent extraction, said process comprising: (a) feeding said petroleum residua feedstock together with hydrogen into a reaction zone containing a catalyst bed, said reaction zone being maintained at 780°-860° F. temperature and 1000-5000 psig hydrogen partial pressure for liquid phase hydroconversin reaction to provide a hydroconverted effluent material containing a mixture of gas and liquid fractions; (b) separating said hydrocarbon effluent material in a first separation zone into a gas fraction and a liquid fraction; (c) draining said liquid fraction from said first separation zone into a second separation zone maintained at a temperature 15°-50° F. above that in the first separation zoner so as to vaporize a fraction having a normal boiling range of 250°-450° F. and forming a supercritical solvent vapor in the second separation zone for dissolving and extracting the hydrocarbon liquid fraction therein to provide substantial separation of the RCR materials and metals-containing compound residue from a remaining extracted vapor therein; (d) withdrawing said residue along with a minor portion of high boiling residual oil from said second separation zone; (e) withdrawing and pressure-reducing the remaining extracted vapor from said second separation zone containing the supercritical solvent vapor and dissolved liquid, and separating a light solvent fraction from a remaining heavy liquid fraction; (f) combining said gas fraction and the remaining portion of said heavy liquid fraction and introducing the combined stream along with hydrogen into a second ebullated bed catalytic reaction zone maintained at 700°-820° F. temperature and 1000-4500 psig hydrogen partial pressure for further hydroconversion and desulfurization to provide a hydrocarbon effluent material containing liquid and gas fractions; (g) separating said hydrocarbon effluent material in a third separation zone into a gas fraction and a liquid fraction; and (h) withdrawing hydrocarbon liquid and gas products from the process.